


Byron Gallagher-Milkovich

by Lenatoutcourt



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich Happy Ending, Jealous Ian Gallagher, Jealous Mickey Milkovich, M/M, No Incest, No mpreg, Nothing happens between Byron and Mickey, POV Byron Gallagher Milkovich, POV Carl Gallagher, Parents Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich, Time Travel, save his parents, uncle Carl Gallagher
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-10
Updated: 2020-01-10
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:41:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22194958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lenatoutcourt/pseuds/Lenatoutcourt
Summary: Before some people start criticize without reading the whole story, I would like to remind you that this story is without incest, without mpreg (even if I am not anti-mpreg) and that nothing happens between Byron and MickeyI saw this idea on a facebook group and I wanted to write it (sorry not sorry)
Relationships: Carl Gallagher & Byron Gallagher Milkovich, Ian Gallagher & Mickey Milkovich, Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich
Comments: 8
Kudos: 68





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Before some people start criticize without reading the whole story, I would like to remind you that this story is without incest, without mpreg (even if I am not anti-mpreg) and that nothing happens between Byron and Mickey
> 
> I saw this idea on a facebook group and I wanted to write it (sorry not sorry)

Carl was sitting on the steps in front of the house, staring into his phone.

"Unc- Carl?"

He raised his head to face the man who had just called him. 

He had never seen the guy before and had no idea who he was.

"Who's asking?"

"Byron-"

"Mickey's Byron?"

He had for a moment thought that this guy might have something to do with the police recruits he was currently taking care of, although he didn’t see this guy as thin as a twig in his training.

In the end, he was far from the truth. 

Ian had been talking about this guy nonstop since Mickey left, and the more he looked at him, the less he understood what Mickey saw in him.

He knew that as a straight guy he wasn't the best judge, but this guy was so far away from his brother that it seemed illogical. 

Maybe it was the hair color and the freckles that made him look a little like Ian, but his blue eyes and his small stature immediately broke all resemblance.

"Not really... But yes, that one."

"What do you want?"

He saw no reason for this guy to come and talk to him.

"I need your help."

"My help? You're sleeping with my brother's boyfriend and you want my help?!?"

"I want them to be together."

Carl didn't expect any particular response, but this one still managed to disturb him enough to stay still for a few moments.

"What? Why?"

"I haven't known them long, but I can tell they're made for each other."

An idea crossed young Gallagher's mind and he asked with a smile.

"Are you that scared of Mickey?"

"If I say yes, will you help me or not?"

The angry expression on his face didn’t fit the situation. Byron seemed far more desperate than Carl had thought he was.

"It's my brother's life, not mine, I don't see why I should care. If you're so scared of Mickey, why don't you just break up with him? There's not much chance he'll give a damn."

"I can't do that, they have to get back together."

Carl sighed at Byron's disturbing determination. He didn't understand the guy and his motivation but was certain that Mickey and Ian would end up together again as soon as he was out of the way.

Ian had never stopped loving Mickey and vice versa and it wasn't the presence of this guy that was going to change that.

"They're bound to get back together again sometime..."

"No, they need to get back together now."

The young man's anger seemed to grow more and more as if this was the most important discussion of his life.

"Why now?"

"Because otherwise they'll never get married and never have children and I'll never come into the world-"

Byron had spoken without thinking, driven by the anger and pressure of the situation.

"What are you talking about?

The young man sighed long and hard before giving up. The mistake had been made, and this may have been his only chance to get out of it.

"Ian and Mickey are my parents..."

His statement seemed to make Carl mute.

Byron knew he was unlikely to believe it so quickly.

"I think I would know if my brother had a son your age. Besides, I don't know what you've been told, but two guys can't make a baby. You need to rethink your lie, you're either Ian's son or Mickey's son, not both."

He knew that now he had to confess everything if he wanted to have a chance to convince him, however crazy the situation might seem.

"I'm from the future-"

"Getting better and better-" 

"Will you listen!?? I come from the future and I disturbed this present without realizing it and because of this, my parents were going to separate when they are supposed to be engaged at the end of the week. In the future researchers have found a way to combine multiple male DNA into one to allow male couples to have children-"

"That's nonsense-"

"This is already the case for women right now... Researchers have managed to create sperm from human cells. Within a few years, they will be able to create eggs from these same cells. But if my parents aren't together, Lip will never think about it and I'll never be born."

Carl didn't believe anything this guy was saying, but he couldn't question his motivation and his acting.

"Did Lip invent this stuff?"

"Not really. He met the boss of Smith-Tech shortly before my parents' wedding and they discovered they had something in common-"

"He's not with Tami anymore?"

Carl had asked the question as if he finally believed the guy. He just intended to look for flaws in his story, but something made him believe it even a little.

"Can you stop interrupting me every two minutes?"

"I'm sorry."

"They're still together, even though many thought they'd never get back together after Tami's second pregnancy."

Carl stared at Byron, raising a perplexed eyebrow at the young man's speech. His assertions had a certain logic and pushed him to take an interest in this fantasized future he was talking about.

"The baby was black... After a few tests, it was Lip's, but it put a chill on their relationship. Liam, on the other hand, was over the moon."

"So Lip and Tami are having a black baby, and he's gonna invent a machine for two guys to make babies. Is that it?"

A huge smile appeared on Carl's face. He couldn't believe any of it when he said those words out loud.

Byron looked desperate and panicked.

"For the baby, yes. For the rest of it, no. He just had a long talk with Melissa, the head of Smith-Tech. And it was by talking to both of them that she came up with the solution. Then she offered to work with Lip. He's not as smart as she is, but I hear he helps her think a lot. After the cell modifications, she wanted to work on something more complicated and chose time travel. Originally I wasn't supposed to use the machine, but Lip left me alone in his office and I was bored so I tried to do as he showed me and look into the past on the transmodule - the computer if you prefer..."

Carl displayed the same smile he did when Lip talked to him about something he didn't understand, pushing the young man to continue his story.

"But instead of staying in watch mode, I turned on something and there I was..."

"You ended up in front of our house?"

"Not in front of your house. It was Ian I was watching, so I landed at his work. That's when I screwed up. I had a conversation with one of his coworkers. I wanted to know what my father was like. If I’m gonna be there, I might as well make the most of it."

"You're not wasting any time."

Byron bowed his head in shame. He knew it was his actions that had set it all in motion and he felt terrible about it.

"She was very quick to talk about their PO and seemed to want to tell her all she thought about her, so I encouraged her... And she killed her-"

"What?!? You're the reason she killed their PO?"

At that moment Carl is surprised to notice the resemblance between Byron and Mickey. They acted the same way, passing his hand down his neck and biting their lower lip.

"I didn't think she was going to do that. And because of that dad offered to marry daddy just to be safe and-"

"Wait! Wait! Dad and daddy?"

"Sorry, Ian and Mickey..." Byron said, remembering that although in his day everyone understood when he spoke like that, here his parents were still just Ian and Mickey.

"Who's dad and who's daddy?"

"Ian is dad... " he replied evasively, hoping Carl wouldn't pursue the matter further.

"And who decided that? I can't imagine Mickey would ever agree to be called daddy."

Byron hated talking about it. Every time he remembered the night he learned the reasons he wanted to forget at all costs.

There had never been a taboo subject in their family, but by mutual agreement they had all decided never to talk again about why Mickey was called daddy.

"They made a bet, and whoever lost was called daddy... It's da-, I mean Mickey who lost."

"What bet?"

"Believe me, you don't want to know. I asked once when they were drunk with aunt Fiona and I regretted it a lot. I had nightmares about it."

Carl automatically nodded his head. There was no doubt that this guy was crazy, yet he seemed to believe his story as hard as iron.

"You've been working on your lie pretty good."

"That's not a lie."

"I'm sorry, but I don't see how I can believe you."

"How else would I know Fiona and Lip?"

The question was relevant, but the idea of accepting the whole story as true was far too crazy for Carl to accept it so quickly.

"You've done your homework."

"Why would I do that? To push a guy to his ex and motivate them to get married and live happily?"

An idea as horrible as it was disturbing crossed Carl's mind.

"Wait! If you're really his son, and I never said I believed it. That means you're sleeping with your-"

"NO! We haven't done anything, we haven't done anything and we're not going to do anything."

"That's what you say..."

"That's the truth. Daddy only loves dad and he only uses me to make him jealous."

The anger could be read on Byron's face, but the fun Carl felt in bothering him was too much to stop there.

"And if he tries to take it any further..."

"You're sick, man! I just told you it was my dad."

"And I just told you I don't believe you."

"If he tries anything, which I don't think he will, I'll kick him to the curb."

Carl can't believe Byron after a statement like that.

Even though Mickey was smaller than a lot of people, he was very good at fighting and the chances of this guy overpowering him were close to zero.

"I'm a mix between a Milkovich and a Gallagher, do you really think I can't fight? I'll have you know that Aunt Mandy trained me."

"It's not something to be proud of. You gotta hit like a girl."

"She beat the crap out of you the last time you guys had a fight."

Carl burst out laughing at the thought of being beaten by Mandy. He hadn't been around her for a long time, but he knew he could handle her easily.

"Ah! Now I know you're lying! Mandy could never beat me, and anyway, your information is wrong. She's not around anymore. She's gone I don’t know where."

"She's going to come back to the moment of my birth. She was tired of being bossed around by morons who took half her money, so she started her own escort agency in Chicago and she and all her employees take self-defense classes so they can handle violent clients. She's pretty good at it. I mean, she's dating the professor, so she gets private lessons."

The inventiveness and the quality of his lies were increasingly surprising Carl. Byron seemed to have an answer for everything.

"Are you gonna help me or not?"

"I'm still not convinced."

"What it would take to convince you."

"I don't know, maybe the-"

"No, I won't give you the lottery numbers."

Byron's answer gave him goosebumps. This was precisely what he was going to ask and, surprisingly, it made him believe him far more than anything he had told him so far.

"How-"

"We've spent a lot of time together and you still think the same way."

"What's my future like? Do I have a wife?"

Carl had asked the question to satisfy a whole new curiosity. He was beginning to believe what Byron was telling him and saw no reason to deprive himself of some information about his future.

"Yeah- Well, not now, actually- You meet your wife when you pick me up from daycare. If I'm not there, you have no reason to go, so you'll never meet her..."

Carl couldn't know if Byron was trying to manipulate him or if somehow the whole story of time travel and the wife-to-be was just an invention of his.

"I don't care, I don't believe you, and then I'll find another one anyway."

"One you love enough to marry her?"

Byron knew that if it wasn't for her, Carl never would have gotten married. He had confessed to him that he had never loved a woman like that, and seeing them together had always made him believe in true love, as he had with his parents.

"Fuck! Why are you bugging me with all this shit? I was fine before you came along."

"I'm sorry, but I need help. Daddy- I mean, Mickey makes Ian jealous, but that doesn't seem to be enough."

The young man couldn't know whether his uncle finally believed him or not, but even if it was not yet totally the case, he could not wait any longer, he needed his help.

Carl cut him off, however, before he could ask him anything.

"I still don't understand why you're dating your father-"

"I'm not dating him, you pervert."

"You still kissed-"

"No. Daddy stopped a few inches away from me and just pretended to make daddy jealous. Believe me, if he'd really tried to kiss me, I wouldn't have let him. I had to take it upon myself when he touched my ass--"

"You say that, but-"

"But nothing! Mickey's my dad. And besides, I'm straight, so I'm not attracted to him at all."

"You’re straight?"

Byron gave Carl the darkest look. He had pretended to be gay to get closer to his father, but had never been attracted to any man, let alone one of his parents. The very idea made him want to throw up.

Carl's condescending way of looking at him made him want to punch him in the face, but Ian had always forbidden him to respond the way Mickey did at times, with violence, and he knew it wouldn't help.

"Let's say I believe you... What's going on?"

Byron felt his anger leave him gently replaced by hope. 

"I only have a hundred hours to fix everything and I've already lost almost two days."

"How long has it been 100 hours?"

"Four days-"

"You've got to be fucking kidding me! There are only two days left? What the fuck did you do?!" Grumbled Carl before realizing the passion with which this idea touched him.

"I'll have you know that finding a way to make sure that none of my dads look for someone else after a fight like this is not easy."

"If you say so... where are they both right now?"

"Daddy sleeps in my apartment and dad I don't know. I was hoping I'd find him there, but I didn't."

Carl again looked at the man who claimed to be his nephew straight in the eye and questioned.

"How did you get a place?"

"Gold is precious in these times, but where I come from it's worthless. I just went to a pawn shop and got enough dough for everything I wanted."

"Do you have any more of that?"

"No! And here the most important are my fathers! I remind you that without their marriage I wouldn't be here and without me, you wouldn't have your wife!"

It's hard for Carl to be concerned about losing a wife he didn't know yet, or to help a nephew he never met before. 

"And what's your excuse for the mini-bike?"

"Are you talking about the Vespa?"

"I'm talking about the girl's bike."

"It's the only thing I could find with no ID and no permit..."

"What about your clothes?"

"Are you gonna criticize everything I do or are you gonna help me?!?"

"Sorry! Sorry!"

Carl was amused by Byron's anger. It was hard for him to accept the idea that something so small was related to Mickey Milkovich. Byron seemed to really want the best for Mickey and Ian and on reflection, there wasn't much else he could do.

"Making Ian jealous isn't going to work. No doubt he couldn't stand to see a guy anywhere near Mickey. You're lucky you're still alive. But it's Mickey you got to make jealous."

"I'm not gonna pretend to date my other dad. It's traumatic enough with one already."

"No one's asking you to do that! Besides, why didn't you send someone else in your place?"

Byron sighed at length massaging his temples before asking his uncle.

"You mean finding someone who would pretend to date Mickey and strut around in front of his ex while hosting him at his house for free and following his whims, all without that person really wanting to sleep with him? It's indeed easy to find..."

"Fuck you! I'm trying to help!"

"Well, try harder!"

They stared at each other for a moment before Byron looked away and sat down softly next to Carl.

The fear of losing everything could overwhelm him at any second. He knew that if he allowed himself to think too much about the reality of things, he would immediately be overwhelmed by reality and the fact that he would surely never be born.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. It's just that I may never exist and you'll understand that I don't like the idea."

Carl put his hand on Byron's head and gently stroked his hair.

"Okay. Okay. As I said, we have to make Mickey jealous. Whenever he gets jealous he takes matters into his own hands and even though Ian seems like a leader, he needs Mickey to guide him or else he doubts everything."

"Seems like you know them both really well."

"Of course he's my brother, by the way, and Mickey's been with him so long that even without marriage he's still part of the family."

Carl knew that despite the arguments, these two were made for each other and that they would eventually get back together.

"Do you think we can make Mickey jealous?"

"Yep. He needs to spend some time with you and Mickey. I know him, he's automatically gonna want to make Mickey jealous."

"I might have an idea then... Daddy's still bitching years later about a concert he went to shortly before their engagement. He hated that band, and Ian made a mistake picking up tickets and they ended up there. I'm sure I can get tickets."

"Perfect. That way you'll have an already pissed-off Mickey and an Ian busy making him jealous. If that's not enough for them to act- Forget what I said. It'll be enough."

  
  
  
  
  


* * *

<https://youtu.be/b7IWw4BelS0>


	2. Chapter 2

Carl picked up his phone when he saw Byron's number on it. He had recorded his contact before the young man returned home and had promised to stay in touch for the rest of the day.

"Ian showed up as planned, and you were right, he did everything he could to make Mickey jealous. I almost burst out laughing, it was so obvious from his face. I'm glad I didn't crack. I even almost called Ian dad as he was leaving. I can't imagine what would have happened."

"I would have liked to have seen that... That's all good on my end. I called Ian and as planned he talked to me about getting a guy for tonight. I offered to help him and I'm meeting him in ten minutes."

"He's gotta come with a guy that Mickey's gonna hate."

"Trust me, he won't have any trouble finding this. He's planning to go to a bar he used to go to with one of his exes. Some hipster thing, full of people Mickey can't stand."

Byron smiled when he heard his confident uncle. Even though Carl still didn't believe him 100%, he was happy to get some help.

"I'll call you back as soon as it's good on my end." Promise Carl before hanging up.

*-*-*

Finding a guy to make Mickey jealous turned out to be more fun to do than he ever imagined.

Carl finally let Ian get ready in his room and left the house to call Byron back.

"I have a little question that's been running through my head since earlier..." Carl said without preamble, before asking.

"Is your name really Byron?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"I think it's weird that Ian and Mickey chose that name. I thought it might be a fake name."

"Why would I choose a fake name?!?! Besides, my name is all right."

"Don't get angry, it was just a question..."

  
  


"Dad couldn't go to the hospital the day I was born, and that pissed daddy off. For weeks dad had been telling him over and over again that if he missed the delivery he'd be very angry at him. Daddy give the nurses the name one of his exes to piss dad off. In fact, dad had had to stop on the road to help a young woman who had just had an accident... They both got pissed off after that. Dad blamed himself for not being there and daddy for giving that name. He didn't think it was the official and final choice yet."

"I can see their faces."

"They finally made peace a little later. Dad always says it was when they saw my smile that they made up."

Carl couldn't see Byron's face, but from the sound of his voice, he seemed to have a big smile on his face.

He couldn't repress a small smile in turn.

"And if you don't want to tell me more about my wife-to-be?"

"I'd better stop talking about this or I might change things again and the only one who survives will be Frank."

"Frank would survive anything, even the apocalypse."

"Uncle Lip said he probably has cockroach DNA to be so resistant."

Carl laughed when he heard Byron's statement.

"Can't I find out what's become of him?"

Byron knew that talking more about the future would probably complicate things. Still, talking about Frank didn't seem to be the most dangerous thing. Nothing could happen to the man and no one would try to change his fate.

"He had to flee to Mexico to avoid prison and started a cult there. He calls himself the new messiah."

"Fucking Frank!"

Byron remained silent for a moment and took a deep breath before shyly asking.

"Do you believe me now?"

Carl was certain that the young man was holding his breath, impatiently awaiting his answer on the other end of the phone.

"Yep... Well, not for everything, everything, but for the most part, yes. You can understand that this is hard to believe... But I know Mickey's not the type to talk to a stranger about anything and there's no way he'd tell you about Frank!"

"I've only seen him two or three times in my whole life and my parents wouldn't let me get too close to him."

Carl laughed heartily, imagining Ian and Mickey standing between Frank and baby Byron.

"I didn't think daddy could be that scary..." Byron said shyly, redirecting Carl's attention back to him.

"You didn't think Mickey Milkovich could be scary?"

"But he's not usually like this with me. He yells at me every time I do something."

"He's always like that with people, it's only with Ian and his family that he's different."

"But I'm related to him..."

"He just doesn't know it yet."

"Maybe he'll never know..."

"You're gonna stop whining and get back to work! This is not how your parents are gonna get back together." Grunted Carl as he gesticulated in the air.

Even though Byron couldn't see it, he hoped it would help him regain his motivation.

He preferred to refocus their discussion on what happened next.

"Ian found the perfect guy for tonight. Looks like a little princess, everything Mickey hates."

Byron wiped the few drops that dripped on his cheeks with the back of his sleeve.

"I never thought I'd enjoy knowing my father was with someone else."

"It's just to make them jealous." Reminded Carl of his nephew's desperation.

  
  


*-*-*

Byron found it very difficult to see his two fathers separated, even more so knowing that they were both accompanied for this evening and that, to add insult to injury, he himself was one of those dates.

Mickey had automatically tense up when Ian arrived and Byron had preferred to get up to greet him and Cole rather than risk Mickey kissing him just to piss Ian off.

Cole really had everything to piss Mickey off and more than once Byron had the impression that one of them would break down and make a scene in front of everyone before making up. Unfortunately, although the situation was promising, neither Ian nor Mickey seemed to want to be the one to give up.

"I'm gonna get something to drink."

"I'll come with you." Byron cheerfully affirmed when Ian got up to go to the bar, hoping that leaving Mickey alone with Cole would make things happen.

Unfortunately, neither of the two men at their table seemed to want to speak, making it difficult to start an argument.

Byron knew that he had little time left and that the more time went on, the less chance he would have to settle.

He finally decided to make the most of this time alone with Ian.

"I don't know what got into me when I agreed to go out with Mickey... The bad boy thing is fun at first, but now it’s so annoying."

Judging by the pressure Ian was applying to his new beer glass, Byron was right. Ian was generally a quiet person except when it came to criticizing the people he loved, and his reaction was all the less expected when it came to Mickey. Ian's weakness had always been Mickey.

"I don't understand how you could go out with him for so long... He's stupid, he's mean, he can't do anything right-"

Byron quickly found himself on the ground when he received Ian's fist in the cheek.

He could see the anger in his father's eyes as he was about to hit him again, and suddenly felt more danger than he had ever felt before.

Miraculously, several men around them managed to hold him back.

Byron stood up and backed back towards their table, both out of real fear and to deal the final blow to his parents.

"What the hell happened?" Questioned Cole visibly panicked as he watched Byron and Ian in turn, still restrained.

"I don't know. We were just talking quietly and it's like he's gone crazy."

He tried to hide his satisfaction as best he could from the irritation on Mickey's face. He knew very well that Mickey hated Ian being called crazy and hopefully Cole would take the bait.

"Fuck! I agreed to go out with him because I really wanted to come tonight and to say I went out with gay-jesus... But I should have believed the people who said he was crazy. I heard he pleaded insanity in court..."

Mickey had grabbed Cole's wrist and it was easy to tell by looking at his face that Cole had gone too far.

"Say that again?!?"

The young man seemed too terrified to answer, and he owed his salvation only to the man who tried to stop Mickey and took his attack in his place.

Just minutes later, Ian and Mickey were both thrown out into the street.

Byron briefly thanked the people who had come to his aid before quietly heading for the exit to spy on his parents and check that his plan had worked.

They were still on the ground when he arrived at the exit and he was staring straight in the eyes.

"You really are crazy." Mickey started before Ian looked down.

"And that's part of the reason I love you." he added.

Ian immediately looked up at Mickey and smiled a big smile.

"You're a real bully... and that's why I love you too. I think I love all your sides and I just have to get it into my head that someone can love me the same way."

"That would be nice indeed."

"I promise I'll try harder." Ian said with a chuckle.

Mickey got up and walked towards Ian before reaching out his hand. Ian looked at him for a few moments before he struggled to put his injured leg in front of him and leaned on the other side of Mickey's face.

"What are you doing?!?"

"This time it's not to avoid jail... this time it's for real. Mickey Milkovich, will you marry me, even if I'm completely crazy?"

Mickey looked up at the sky before staring at Ian and nervously nibbling his lower lip.

"Are you sure you want a violent man for a husband?"

"I wouldn't want anyone else."

"Hurry up and give me that ring before I mummify myself on the spot." Mickey growled as he reached out his hand in front of him.

Ian laughed heartily and quickly untied his necklace to pull the ring from his neck.

"Can we go now?" Mickey questioned Ian, obviously trying to hide his discomfort.

Ian tried to get up and took advantage of Mickey's help to grab hold of him and lure him to him for a kiss.

Byron felt all the fear leave him and smiled a big smile as he saw his parents embracing.

He frowned as Mickey slid his hand down Ian's back and passed it under his pants. He immediately closed the door so he wouldn't have to witness any more.

He could now enjoy his time in this era with peace of mind.

He looked around him. The band had started to play and everyone seemed to enjoy their performance.

He smiled, thinking that if it wasn't for his parents, he wouldn't stay another minute in this place. Now he understood perfectly well why his father was still talking about it years later.

*-*-*

Byron smiled broadly and lifted the six-pack of beer he was holding in his hand as he saw Carl smoking on the front steps of the family home.

"It worked!" He said cheerfully.

Carl slowly exhaled all the smoke from his lungs before he thumbed his thumb at the house behind him and simply affirmed.

"I know... the walls of their bedroom are thin."

Byron laughed heartily before remembering where he was and joined Carl trying to keep the noise down.

It would be hard to explain why he was there if someone found him here... 

"I'm sorry..."

"Don't worry, I'd rather have them together than apart. As soon as they fight, they're always talking crap. I can handle it if it keeps them from doing anything."

"Don't worry, before long they'll have their own apartment." Promised Byron when he handed his uncle a beer.

Carl accepted the beer and toasted his nephew before pointing out that he was the first Gallagher to have succeeded in the challenge of starting to drink before he was even born.

"I'll buy you a beer when I get home..." Byron smiled and promised.

"I have a feeling I'm going to have to wait a long time for that beer..."

The two men looked silently up at the sky.

A few minutes later Byron lowered his eyes to his hands and seemed to see them disappear.

"What the hell is going on?!" Grunted Carl as he noticed it.

"Either it means it's time to go home, or I've failed to make up for my mistake and I'm going to be erased forever."

"No! It's just time to go home! That's all!" Promised Carl by trying to convince himself.

Byron smiles tenderly and disappears before he can say anything.

Carl stood there for long minutes, watching the six-pack next to him and the empty place left by Byron.

*-*-*

Carl watched from the corner of his eye as Mickey and Ian glued together on the couch.

They had all settled down in front of the TV to watch an old news report as he usually did when he was younger, and the young couple seemed to use this quiet moment to reconnect.

Ian regularly whispered things in Mickey's ear, and he seemed to be trying by every means possible to keep himself from laughing.

"Mickey? Can I ask you a question?"

"What do you want, Gallagher?" Mickey questioned by turning his attention to Carl.

Even though they were surrounded by the rest of the family, no one outside of Ian seemed to pay any attention to their discussion.

"Have you ever dated a Byron?"

"Did you just wake up or something?"

Carl realized the stupidity of his question and clarified it.

"No, I mean besides him... have you ever dated any other Byron?"

"Why would I do this to myself? There's something wrong with you."

Carl stared at him silently, astonished by his answer, but already neither Mickey nor Ian paid any attention to him, Ian whispering in Mickey's ear again as if nothing had happened.

*-*-*

  
  


Carl was mechanically playing with one of the tools Lip used to fix his motorcycles. Lip had already retrieved two screwdrivers and a 10 wrench and seemed to have given up the idea that Carl was leaving his tools where they belonged.

Carl was not used to hanging out with his brother when he was at work, and neither of them seemed to really enjoy the time. Yet Carl couldn't get Byron out of his head and forget what he had told him about his conception. If Lip didn't meet this researcher, Byron probably wouldn’t have never been born. He had been missing for several weeks now and Carl was having a hard time thinking about anything else.

The existence of this future nephew had become a matter of course and obligation. Now he had to find a way to force Lip to meet her to allow Ian and Mickey to become a family.

"Lip did you ever wanted to go back to doing your nerd thing?"

"My nerd stuff?"

"Yes, you know how to make robots, how to fix very complicated machines..."

"What do you think I'm doing?" Questioned Lip pointing to the bike he was working on.

"No, that's not-" Started Carl before being interrupted by Lip's boss.

"Lip Melissa Smith is here for her bike!"

"Okay, I just finished it, I just have to get it down-"

Lip had turned to his brother as soon as he heard the crash of the bike crashing to the ground.

Carl had acted instinctively when he heard the now familiar name.

It was no wonder they crossed paths, so now he should make sure Lip could talk to him long enough to get things in place.

"Fuck! Carl! What the fuck is wrong with you?!?"

"Sorry, I didn't pay attention."

"I thought my bike was ready." Mrs. Smith remarked as she observed the machine on the ground.

"Sorry, I just need to check a few things. She'll be ready for tomorrow tops and with no extra charge, of course." Promised Lip as he bent down to straighten up what was left of the bike.

"It's okay, Lip, you built robots for the military, you can fix that bike..."

"For the military?"

Carl couldn't hide his joy at the scientist's reaction. It had to work, and he would do anything to make it work.

"Don't listen to him."

"That's right! He doesn't look like it, but he's a real genius. He's got at least a 200 IQ!"

Carl's statement made the woman in front of him smile again, and the intrigued woman turned to Lip.

"Is this true?"

"He's talking nonsense."

"How much?"

"How much what?"

"Your IQ."

“180 or something like that...”

"Not bad... Do you know anything about genetics?"

"A little bit."

"I'm stuck on a problem and I'm looking for someone to explain it to. It usually helps me find the solution, but I can't find anyone smart enough to understand what I'm saying."

"Have you tried colleges? They're full of smart people."

"I need someone who's unformatted and able to think outside the box."

"And you work on what?"

"The transformation of human cells into an ovary."

"Like the scientists who created sperm."

"Same here. Are you interested? I'll pay you for it, of course."

Carl slipped away as discreetly as possible, hoping that their discussion would go in the right direction and also hoping to avoid the consequences of his actions. The bike was clearly not cheap, and he didn't even have enough money to pay for the damages.

However, even if the prospect of having to pay for the repairs was making him anxious, he would be happy to do so if it would ensure the existence of his future nephew.

He walked out of the garage with a smile on his face and stared at the sky for a few moments. When he met Byron he had learned more about his future, yet the future had never been so uncertain.

He was startled when he heard his brother come out and growl at him.

"Carl! Don't think you're gonna get away with this!"

Not wanting to suffer his brother's wrath, Carl runs away, but he can't help smiling.


End file.
